Sunday Music - The Grand Ole Opry (1956)

When I was kid I always heard of this far-away place called Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry. I also had a sense that I was missing out on something that was not only different, but perhaps even better than the more staid variety shows which emanated out of New York, or even Los Angeles.

In this show from the Ryman Auditorium; which was broadcast on April 18, 1956; the cast includes Carl Smith as host, with guests Buddy Ebsen; before Jed Clampett; Chet Atkins, Collins Kids, The Jordanaires; just before the Elvis madness; June Carter; before Johnny Cash; Lester Flatt and the recently departed Earl Scruggs, with comedienne Minnie Pearl, and a few others.

The show may be irritating to some; there are people who will find this show to be annoying. I find it interesting in several ways. It’s a visual record of what was funny to middle America during the 1950’s,; and as such helps to explain the politics and culture of the times. It was; mainly; still an agricultural society, and the entertainment that the people in the rural communities may not have been as sophisticated as that of the slicker network shows; but there is something very personable, and almost noble in these shows.

These were hard working, mainly unschooled folks, who made their own everything; including entertainment. And eventually, as Elvis and Carl and Johnny, along with Jerry Lee Lewis, broke the barriers separating the entertainment business, they became us and we became them. By that I mean that this is where it all began in popular music as we know it today. These are the roots of our modern day culture; even the various reality shows’ and American Idol took something of their formats from these seemingly unsophisticated shows.

I originally was going to post Hank Williams doing “I Saw the Light”, but the powers that control such things made the video not downloadable. It’s too bad for them, and good for me. Because without the inability to show the Hank Williams video, I would never have stumbled across the many other Grand Ole Opry shows  that are downloadable.

I don’t expect that many of my fellow Americans will enjoy this type of show anymore. It will probably get more hits out of Europe, where traditional American music is still revered. 

Odetta and Tennessee Ernie Ford - Live

It’s not too often that I write about the same artist, or any subject, two days in a row. But while looking at videos of Tennessee Ernie Ford for yesterday’s post reviewing “River of No Return” by Jeffrey Buckner Ford, I ran across this video of Odetta performing on the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show sometime in the 1950’s. It’s so good that I did not want it to get “lost” in the review. So, I decided to wait and post it separately, which also gives me a kind of day off.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was pigeon holed as a performer, and is remembered largely for his pea-picking songs, and of course “16 Tons.” But the man literally knew no bounds, and was equally comfortable in all genres, from jazz, blues and pop, to classical music. In 1960 he even did a half hour version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Mikado” on TV, giving me my first taste of “musicals.”

In this film from his show, Mr. Ford sits down with the legendary Odetta, and together they perform Merle Travis’ “Nine Pound Hammer”, and Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty”. Early television was filled with moments of uncertainty, error, and sometimes pure brilliance. This performance was one of the latter.

"The Man Behind The Nose" by Larry "Bozo" Harmon

I never knew that there was a real "Bozo" the clown. By that, I mean I thought that each city had it's own version of "Bozo", and I was probably of the opinion that these guys were like department store "Santas" at Christmas, mostly guys that couldn't hold a real job. Drunks. Was I ever wrong!

The "real" Bozo the Clown was a man named Larry Harmon, born Lawrence Weiss on January 2, 1925 in Toledo, Ohio. As a child he "discovered" Al Jolson and the course of his life was changed forever. He became hooked on the limelight that comes with entertainment.

After a few stints in school marching bands, he had a thing for the drums, the future Bozo went to war. He served in the Army as a Private in World War Two. Working in the Entertainment Corps gave him the opportunity to meet Al Jolson, his boyhood idol. Mr. Jolson takes an interest in him, encouraging his ambitions to become an entertainer. When they meet a second time, Mr. Jolson tells him that he has improved greatly and should really consider show businesss in lieu of Mr. Harmon's desire to be a doctor. He tells him, "Being a doctor of Medicine is honorable, but you'll touch so many more lives as a doctor of laughter."

With this encouragement, Mr. Harmon goes to USC on the GI Bill, majoring in Theater.Upon graduating he auditioned at NBC studios in Los Angeles. He is chosen to play "Captain Comet", one of the first space characters to appear on TV. His character was a space pilot from Venus who comes to earth as a guide for the Universe. Ironically, Mr. Harmon was a tremendous fan of the race to break the sound barrier, and later, a strong enthusiast of NASA's Space Program, an interest which he managed to incorporate into his show. He actually flew in the Zero Gravity plane with the Mercury Astronauts, reporting about it on his show.

In 1956 he bought the rights to the "Bozo" character. He then set out to license other "Bozo's" to take the show to other cities across the country. From there it was a non-stop journey, with trips around the world. His adventures with the Cannibals in New Guinea, after his plane crashed, are extraordinary. After meeting the tribesmen, who are fascinated by the size of his feet, he is wined and dined. He then entertains them as Bozo, and leaves alive, proving that laughter is the Universal Cure for all that divides us.

This is a very unusual book about a very unusual guy. At first I found it hard to take "Bozo" seriously, since my memories of him are all tied up with the image of his size 83XXX shoes and the red hair and nose. But beneath this facade was a very deep man, with vision and dreams.

When all is said and done, Al Jolson was right. Larry Harmon did become that "Doctor of Laughter", and he did touch many more lives in his journey as Bozo the Clown.

"The Honeymooners" - Timeless Classics

I was watching "Raisin in the Sun" and decided to take a break and enjoy myself for a bit. So I reached for "The Honeymooners", the original 36 episodes, graciously provided to me by my friend J.W.

These shows were so ahead of their time that it always amazes me to watch them again. They continually explored the never changing world of male-female relationships. No kidding, these shows from 1955 and '56 are 55 years old and still relevant to the way men and women deal with one another. The competiveness and jealousies are still there. Some of the issues of womens equality still have not come to absolute fruition.

And that's what makes these shows so timeless. They show us a mirror of ourselves being foolish. Along with Trixie and Ed Norton, Ralph Cramden (much to the chagrin of his wife Alice), continues to pull them all along on his downward spiral of broken dreams. But all the while he manages to maintain their freindship and love.

I needed a break from reading and films, so this was a great pick for me tonite. If you see these at the library , or at the bookstore, they are well worth the price of owning. Since we don't change much in relation to the topic at hand, they are a handy mirror to keep around. Use them to take a look at yourself from time to time. You might be amazed at the bits of who you see!